


Way Back Into Love

by tigerlady (shetiger)



Series: FU CBS [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Love after Loss, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-29
Updated: 2010-06-29
Packaged: 2017-10-10 07:51:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/97375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shetiger/pseuds/tigerlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life is a series of choices, and JJ's take her away from the BAU but right back to Hotch's door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Way Back Into Love

**Author's Note:**

> I owe a huge thank you to [](http://smittywing.livejournal.com/profile)[**smittywing**](http://smittywing.livejournal.com/), who not only betaed this, but sat with me through writing the whole thing, cheering me on and kicking in the butt to keep going. Thank you also to [](http://mingsmommy.livejournal.com/profile)[**mingsmommy**](http://mingsmommy.livejournal.com/) for the cheerleading. 11,000 words of me working out my heartbreak. Title from the song of the same name from _Music and Lyrics_.

"Wait, wait, wait," Garcia says, pulling the empty plate out of JJ's hand and urging her back into the chair. "You're the going-away girl. You just sit there and let us take care of everything."

"I was just going to throw it away," JJ laughs, but she obeys Hurricane Penelope and stays where she is. "If I eat any more, I'm going to explode, I swear."

"Which means it's the right time for presents," Emily says, pulling a small gift bag from behind her back.

"What? Presents? No, you guys..." JJ shakes her head. Aaron doesn't have a good angle on her face, not well enough to see her eyes, but he's positive from the way she dips her head so that her hair drops forward, concealing them, that she's welling up. JJ has never liked to let anyone see her upset, much less cry; it's the one way she guards herself against being seen as soft. "You totally didn't have to do that."

"Are you kidding? And pass up a chance to go shopping?" Garcia says, returning with her own package. This one's a traditional rectangular box, but the wrapping is far from staid in any way, shape, or form. The paper itself looks like comics pages from the Sunday newspaper, but it's hard to tell for sure because it's so striped with ribbons and what looks like neon shoe strings. There are little toys tied in the bows: a troll doll, an alien head, and a few key chains with dangles he can't make out. "You should know me better than that."

"You're not going to make me open that, are you?" JJ's smile is genuine, at least. "It's way too pretty."

"That, my dear, is what the camera is for." Garcia nudges Morgan in the side, and he obligingly aims it.

"Say cheese," he says, and snaps off a series, making sure to get JJ and the box from every angle Garcia directs him to.

"Before you open the fancy ones, why don't you take this," Dave says, handing over a plain white envelope. Aaron knows it has the card and gift certificate that the four of them went in on, but at the moment he can't even remember if he signed his name, let alone what they got her. "From those of us who aren't so good at shopping."

"I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure Derek dresses better than me half the time."

"Only because he's always trying to attract women," Reid says, turning the alien head over and over in his hands with great concentration. "It's common in males of many species to sport festive plumage for that exact purpose."

"Hey, hey, hey, I ain't denying I got game, but I'm no peacock."

Aaron stops paying attention, letting their banter fade into white noise around him. Their joy in being together isn't any less sincere than it usually is, but there's a touch of desperation to the jokes, to the laughter, that makes him want to get up and walk out of the building. Instead, he pushes his chin into his fist, his elbow into his hand, and forces his back to stay glued to the wall behind him. Despite the intermittent misty-eyed moments, JJ looks happy. Genuinely so. He understands why; Henry has been the most important thing in her life since before he was born. He can't begrudge her the decision at all, especially not after Haley. JJ's young, still, and it's good that she's getting away from here before it burns all of the good out of her life.

He just hates himself that much more for being upset at her for leaving. No, not upset. _Angry._

JJ looks up then, and their eyes meet over Dave's head. He's not sure what he's broadcasting, but after a few seconds her cheeks turn the slightest pink and she drops her gaze, looking back over to where Garcia is gathering up the scraps of paper from her wrapping job.

Aaron pushes away from the wall. He's obviously not a good enough actor to not be the little black rain cloud in the corner of the room, and he doesn't want to do that to JJ, no matter how stupidly angry he is. He nods at her as he slips past the group, but the smile slides off of his face before he's out the door.

She knocks on the door frame of his office half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes later. He tries not to flinch at the thought that it might very well be the last time she ever does that, and instead nods at her to come in, just like he'd do any other day. But this time he doesn't simply push away the report he's working on. He stands up and circles his desk, coming to stand a foot in front of her.

"Hey," she says. Her smile is hesitant, and that's another thing he puts in the failure column. "I just finished saying goodbye to everyone else, so..."

He nods. "So," he says, and then has to swallow against the tightness in his throat.

JJ rolls her eyes, half-smiling. "Ugh. It's not like we won't see each other again. I've already got plans to go to a show with Em and Penelope this weekend."

"Right." He nods, but then he has to shake his head. "It's not the same, though."

"No," she says softly. "I know. Just... We'll have to make sure Jack and Henry have plenty of playdates, okay?"

It's not hard to smile at that. "They'll like that."

"Yeah." JJ reaches out with her right hand, hesitating for a moment before she lays it over his crossed arms. "Take care of yourself, okay? Don't work too hard, for Jack's sake if nothing else."

He snorts. "Yes, Mom. I promise."

She narrows her eyes at him. "Careful. I don't have to be nice to you anymore."

There are a lot of things she doesn't have to be anymore, but his thoughts tangle up trying to find the joke, and he can only come up with ones that are maudlin. The silence stretches out between them, begging for something to fill it. "I'll miss you," finally bursts out of him, the words unwilling to be caged any longer.

"I'll miss you, too," she says, and then she's wiping at her eyes. It breaks his restraint. Aaron drops his arms and steps forward, drawing her into a first and final hug.

She draws a harsh, shuddering breath against his chest. "Damn it. I told myself I wasn't going to do this."

"Sorry," he whispers into her hair. She nods, pressing the wet heat of her tears deeper into his shirt, into his skin, and then pulls back. He makes himself let go.

"I should..." she says, looking over her shoulder towards the door.

"Right." He clears his throat. "It goes both ways, you know. Take care of yourself."

Her smile is bright this time, shining with anticipation. "I will."

* * *

Between the BAU and JJ's new, more social schedule, it's another month before they finally manage one of those playdates for Henry and Jack. Jack is looking forward to it almost as much as Aaron is, but his little body can't contain that amount of energy without it bursting out in babbling conversation and the fidgeting need to see everything going on outside the car windows. Aaron's used to keeping his excitement inside, but he knows his smiles aimed at the back seat are just that much bigger than usual, his responses to Jack's questions just a little more animated.

He'd feel uncomfortable about that, but it's not like he gets out of the house that much these days. It's a play date for both of them, really.

JJ opens the door before the first chime finishes ringing. She's wearing jeans and a tank top, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail. "Hi," she says, but that's all she gets out before Henry sticks his head out around her legs. Jack pulls his hand out of Aaron's and then they're both tearing off into the house with harmonizing shrieks of joy.

"Well." She steps backwards, pushing the door farther open. "I guess this was a good idea, then."

Aaron laughs. "I guess so."

He follows her inside, towards the open-plan kitchen. The house is a nice, comfortable, two-story suburban home, one that always reminded him of his and Haley's. It feels different this time, though. Less like a display model that's been spruced up for a Christmas open house. It's still clean, but not quite so tidy. A small pair of sneakers is stuffed between the banisters of the staircase railing, and he spies a basket of unfolded laundry through the open bedroom door.

It feels lived in, now.

Especially with the smell of chocolate chip cookies coming from the oven. "I'm not sure if cookies and milk counts towards taking care of myself," he says as she pulls the jug from the refrigerator.

"Who says they're for you?" She winks at him, making him laugh, and then pulls down a pair of glasses from the cabinet. "The boys can have theirs after they run off some of that energy."

"And then they can burn it off again," Aaron says, agreeing easily with that plan. The timer on the oven goes off, so he pours milk into their glasses while she pulls the cookies out. "Will doesn't want any?"

She shakes her head. "He's out of town, actually. Training."

"Oh." Aaron swipes at the condensation that's already gathering on his glass. He feels knocked off plumb just the slightest. It shouldn't matter at all, but knowing that Will's not around bunches up the muscles in his shoulders. "So how's it going for him? DC as good as the Big Easy?"

JJ shrugs and hands him a saucer with three cookies on it. "Okay, I guess. He hasn't really found his place yet, I don't think, but he's just so excited to be doing what he loves that it doesn't really matter."

_What about doing what you love?_ he wants to ask, but it's not a fair question at all. He breaks off a piece of cookie and chews it slowly, then takes his time washing it down with milk. "That's good," he finally says, inanely, and then, "Henry must be overjoyed to have you around all the time."

"He is." JJ snorts. "When he's not mad at me for telling him no, that is. Apparently I'm the mean parent."

"It'll all even out eventually." That's what Jessica used to tell Haley, anyway, though it's been a long time since that was what Aaron worried about when it came to Jack's development. It feels like forever, sometimes.

He shakes his head; today is not the day for dwelling on the past. He puts one foot on the floor so he can lean far enough to the side to see into the toy room without falling off the stool. Jack and Henry are kneeling above a collection of blocks and trucks, heads close together as they talk. Their voices are low, and he's not exactly sure whether they're talking to each other, but they seem perfectly content with whatever it is they're doing at the moment.

"So how are things at work?" JJ asks. Aaron pushes himself back onto the stool and picks up the rest of the first cookie. "I mean, I talked to Emily on Tuesday, but I feel a little guilty bringing up that kind of stuff when she's trying to relax."

"But you don't with me?"

JJ flushes. "I didn't mean it that way."

Aaron smiles.

"And you know I didn't mean it that way." She flicks the back of his arm with her nail, not hard enough to hurt, but it almost startles him into dropping the last bite of his cookie. "How did I forget what a little shit you can be?"

He starts laughing hard enough that he's glad he didn't have anything in his mouth. _Little shit_ is not a phrase he's ever heard applied to himself, but he's more than happy to take it. Especially from JJ. "Probably because I'm never this relaxed anymore," he finally says, then wishes he wouldn't have.

"I'll just take that as a compliment and let it go." JJ holds up the milk jug; he shakes his head. She adds a few more inches to her own glass and then puts the jug back in the refrigerator. "So, you going to tell me what's going on lately?"

"You really want to know?"

She shrugs. "I can live without the details, now that I don't have to have them. But the rest, yeah, I do. I don't miss it quite as much as I thought I would, but I need to know that you guys are doing okay without me."

Aaron holds in his first response to that. "We're getting by," he says, smiling while he does. "The worst was Florida last week."

JJ shakes her head. "It always is," she says with a big sigh. She settles her elbows on the countertop, props her chin on her fists, and Aaron starts sketching out the basics of the Stockton case.

* * *

Jack is eating a bowl of microwave macaroni and cheese, his favorite, when Aaron gets home on Monday. Jessica's on the couch, folding a basket of Jack's clothes while Animal Planet plays muted on the TV.

"Hey, buddy," Aaron says. Jack tilts his head, waiting for Aaron to drop his usual kiss to the crown, and then goes back to eating without saying a word. Aaron stands there for a minute, just taking him in, before he moves on to the living room to drop off his briefcase and get a report on their day.

"He's still refusing to eat anything I cook," Jessica says without prelude as she balls up a still-tiny pair of socks. "No tantrum, just won't eat it, no matter how long I make him sit there."

Aaron sighs, then gives in to the urge to rub his face with both hands. He's been hoping this will pass, that it's just one of those things that Jack needed to work through on his own. But it's going to become a habit if they let it go much longer. "He's fine with the macaroni, though?"

Jessica's snort isn't amused. "He said it's what Daddy makes him."

_That_ is a clue. A big one. "So I guess I need to learn how to cook actual food."

"It wouldn't hurt either of you, you know." Jessica has never been one to hold back what she thinks needs to be said, and she doesn't need more than a pointed eyebrow to remind him that living off take-out and microwave dinners has started to take its toll on his own body. "I can find you some easy recipes if you want."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you." He reaches up to the knot of his tie. "So it was a bad day, then?"

Jessica shakes her head. "No, not until dinner time. He was pretty excited most of the day, telling me about his friend Henry."

Aaron smiles. "We went over to JJ and Will's on Saturday. I thought maybe Henry'd be too young for them to play for very long, but they got along great."

"That's cause Jack's a good kid." _Like his mom,_ Aaron thinks, but Jessica doesn't say it. Jessica smiles. "He's definitely patient, that's for sure. At least when he wants something."

"Patient, or stubborn?"

"I guess it depends on what you're wanting him to do." Jessica sets the final pair of folded jeans in with the rest in the basket, then reaches for her purse tucked into the corner of the couch. "So are you guys going to get together again?"

Aaron nods. "Maybe once a month or so."

"Good," she says, standing up. "You need to get out together more."

He's not particularly fond of her saying so, but it's true. He sees her to the door, setting the locks and the alarm after she's out, and then heads back to the kitchen. Somehow, he has to figure out how to reassure his son that he's not going anywhere.

Not to mention find the time to learn how to cook.

* * *

Once a month becomes twice, when possible, usually on the weekends but a time or two on weeknights when Aaron's gotten out of work earlier than usual. Always at JJ's, because her house is light and airy and has a backyard that Jack talks about often enough that Aaron's starting to consider finding a house, at least to rent. Will's hardly ever there, but Aaron doesn't really dwell on that much anymore.

Or at least not until JJ calls at nine o'clock on a Wednesday night. "Hey, Hotch." Her voice is shaking, like she's forcing herself to smile through tears, and Aaron stands without thinking about it. "You don't happen to be in town, do you?"

"I'm at home. What's wrong?" He'll need to get Jack to Jessica, assuming she's at home, and that puts him at least an hour away from being able to help.

"I'm fine," she says, firmly enough that he stops heading for the gun safe. Not firmly enough that he sits back down. "I just need to get out of the house right now. And there's really no place I can go at this time of night with Henry, so--"

"Do you need me to come get you?"

"No. I'm fine, Hotch, I promise." She lets out a long, shaking breath. "It was just one of those fights, you know?"

"Yeah," he says, though Haley had only ever left the house that one, final time before the divorce. He feels sick to his stomach from the combination of memories and worry for JJ. "Drive carefully, okay?"

"I will. And Hotch? Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. That's what friends are for, right?"

JJ laughs. "You're going to make me start crying again."

"Well, that's not what I want to do. See you soon?"

"Yeah," she says softly, and then hangs up.

Aaron considers the report he was working on, but he can't talk himself into pretending he'll be able to concentrate anymore on it tonight. He closes it and puts it into his briefcase, then goes to change the sheets on his bed. Henry will need a place to sleep, and putting two dead-to-the-world little boys in together is just asking for trouble. If JJ needs to stay, she can share with her son, and Aaron will take the couch.

The knock on his door comes what feels like a day later, but is actually kind of quick considering that she has a child in tow. When Aaron turns back around after locking the door, Henry is giving him a bleary, one-eyed stare over JJ's shoulder. Seeing him isn't excitement enough to keep those eyelids up for more than a few seconds, though. Aaron leads JJ to the bedroom without saying anything, and then hovers in the doorway while she settles Henry under the blankets.

"Thanks," she murmurs as they move back into the living room. "I feel horrible for asking you to do this, but I didn't know where else to go and--" JJ covers her mouth, like that's the only way she can stifle the rising volume of her voice. Aaron cups his hand under her elbow and steers her towards the couch. She sits on the forward edge of the cushion, barely on it at all, her arms pulled in close to her body, tight to her knees.

Aaron sits down on the edge of the coffee table, not quite in front of her. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

JJ shakes her head, but he doesn't think it's aimed at him. "It was nothing. We were just talking, and Will brought up having another baby. I told him I didn't think it was the right time, especially with, well, some stuff that's going on, and he just wouldn't accept that. He-- He--" She shakes her head again, but this time it's because she's starting to hyperventilate.

"Just breathe. You don't have to say anything."

She concentrates on doing that for several seconds, then nods. "He said that it wasn't fair to Henry. That it'd be good for him to have a brother or sister at this age. He said that since we're both only children, I should know--" JJ sucks down a ragged sob, but this time she doesn't try to finish.

"JJ." Aaron cups her hands between his. "Will doesn't know about your sister?"

She shakes her head. "It never came up, and he just assumed." She blows out a breath. "He said that, and I just couldn't breathe. I couldn't talk. I was trying to figure out how to tell him, what to say, and I guess I shut down." She snorts. "He thought I was giving him the silent treatment. I had no idea he could get that angry."

Aaron concentrates on his hands, making absolutely sure that they don't clench around hers. "Did he hurt you?"

"No. No, of course not." She shakes her head. "Will wouldn't."

He's heard that in too many different ways, from too many people, but JJ isn't lying. Not that he can tell. And she's not carrying herself like someone who hurts physically. Mentally, yes, but in the way that will settle soon enough on its own.

JJ takes a deep, harsh breath, then sits back, though not all the way, pulling her hands away from his as she does so. "Maybe I overreacted. I just didn't want to be there anymore." She shakes her head. "I didn't want Henry there. And it's not...I swear to you, Will is a good guy."

"You have to do what you think is right." Aaron always thought he was a good guy, too, but that didn't change the fact that Haley had been all too right to try to get away from his life. "Stop blaming yourself for that."

"Right." JJ nods once, then once again, more decisively. "Right."

"Besides, your version of overreacting is on about the same level as my getting down and funky."

That gets a smile. "Well, everyone knows you're a wild man, Hotch."

Aaron holds up both hands, flashing his fingers in gang sign. "Word."

Later, after JJ's settled into (his) bed, and Aaron's trying to find the spot where his shoulder fits into the couch cushion, he lets himself think about the fact that she called him. Not Emily or Garcia. It doesn't mean anything more than she wanted a reassuring male presence around when her faith in Will had been rocked. It doesn't. But there are moments, and tonight he finds one of them, staring down at the floor stained only by shadows, when he isn't a profiler.

Only a man.

* * *

The only thing that surprises him about the news is that she texts it. _Will's moving out. Doing okay, but might not be able to do playdates for a while._

Aaron sends her a series of reassurances in return, then lets it go for a while. He remembers what it was like after Haley left, how the last thing he wanted to do was share his pain. JJ's more connected to people than he is, but in a lot of ways she's similar to him. JJ has Emily and Garcia and plenty of other friends for talking things out; for now, he'll be the one she never has to worry about digging into open wounds.

He takes Jack to a movie to distract both of them on the Saturday afternoon they'd normally spend with JJ and Henry, a matinée showing of some old Mickey shorts. It's Jack's first trip to a theater, and he's more enthralled at first by the seats and the other kids than he is the antics of the old-style mouse on the screen. Before long, though, he's giggling and squirming with glee, and Aaron decides this was a very good idea.

It's on their way back to the car, walking past the shops beside the theater, that he's brought up short in front of a florist's window. More specifically, by one of the arrangements. It's kind of unusual--tiger lillies and some pale green blooms he doesn't know the name of, and nestled in among them, a small silk butterfly.

He has a long argument with himself about whether or not it's an appropriate gesture from a friend. Jack finally decides the question for him, tugging on his wrist and urging him on towards the car, and home.

* * *

It's four months before JJ invites them over again. Jack alternates between sullen and ecstatic at the news, and Aaron's afraid it's going to be a rough visit. But any chance of that vanishes once Henry introduces his new puppy.

"Will's idea," JJ explains with an eyeroll. "But she's adorable, and I have to admit I didn't argue too hard."

"They are kind of hard to resist." Aaron eyes the ball of light brown fur bounding around the boys in the next room. "Golden retriever?"

"Mostly, we think, but she's a mix." JJ leans against the door frame, arm stretched up above her as she watches the boys for a minute. Apparently everything passes inspection, because she returns to the kitchen without saying anything to them. "Her name's Bob."

"Henry named her?"

"Yep." JJ's smile is small but proud. "After Spongebob. Don't ask me why."

"As long as it makes sense to him." Aaron takes a seat on his usual stool. There's no smell of fresh cookies today, and he understands why when JJ starts pulling containers out of the cabinets. "You know, you don't have to do that. You make me feel spoiled."

"That's not a bad thing, I don't think." She's efficient in her movements, collecting brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and baking powder in quick succession, obviously practiced with this particular recipe. She bends down to grab something from a lower cabinet. It takes Aaron two seconds too long to realize he should look up, and by then she's got the mixing bowl out and is standing up again. "So, Emily has been keeping me up to date on the big things, but I'm pretty sure she glosses over a lot of stuff."

Aaron sighs. A large part of him feels that it's wrong that he enjoys these moments with JJ so much, when he can share what he does with someone who gets it, but who isn't immersed in it so much it hurts. Even though he rarely shares the details of the crimes, JJ knows enough, has seen enough to be able to fill in the gaps. But she always asks, and he tells himself that her imagination would be all the more active if he didn't talk.

"Did she tell you anything about the Lovett case?"

JJ half-turns towards him, brow wrinkled and a measuring cup half full of flour in hand. "Maybe? I don't remember the name, though."

"He targeted teenage girls at Catholic schools in Ohio." It's pushing team boundaries, maybe, a little too close to gossip on one side and inter-team profiling on the other, but if this is the only way he can help, he'll do it. "Emily took it pretty hard."

JJ turns back to the canister, staring carefully down at the measuring cup as she finishes filling it. She slowly scrapes a flat knife over the top, knocking off the excess flour, then dumps the cup into the mixing bowl. "I'll talk to her about it," she says at last. "It'll make a nice change of pace from talking about my problems."

"JJ, I'm--"

She looks up sharply. "Hotch. Don't." She shakes her head. "I mean, you can ask me whatever you want, but if you look at me all hangdog like you do I swear I'll cut off your cookies."

He can't help it. He starts laughing. JJ pinks a little, mostly around her ears. "That came out so wrong," she says, but now she's laughing, too. Jack and Henry come running in to see what's going on, Bob yipping along between them, and it's a few minutes of joyful chaos before they can convince everybody that the play room is much more fun than the boring old kitchen. Aaron has tears in his eyes by then, and for once, they're the good kind.

"Oh, man." She's leaning against the the counter, palms pressed against her cheeks. "I think I sprained something laughing."

"That's the best way to do it."

"Second best." And then she winks. Before Aaron can really react to that she's turned back to making cookies.

He clears his throat and, for lack of a better thought, starts talking about the Lovett case again. JJ nods and asks the occasional question as she works, until she pulls out the mixer and the noise is too much for conversation. He's left with nothing to do but watch her.

Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, like she usually wears it on these get-togethers, and there's a fingerprint of flour under her cheekbone. A larger, less-defined smudge of white on her tank top, too, right above her left breast. She pauses the mixer to run a rubber spatula around the rim, then wipes it clean with her finger and sucks her finger into her mouth.

Visions flood his mind. Things he shouldn't be thinking, like crossing the short space between them to wrap his arm around her and reach into the bowl of cookie dough, sharing it out between them with laughs and teasing eyes. Kissing her and tasting brown sugar and butter in her mouth. Threading his fingers up under those pulled-tight strands of hair and urging her head back so that he can see if there's any sweetness on her neck.

The worst thing that he thinks, the hardest thing to ignore, is that he could actually put those fantasies into motion. They're both single now. She doesn't work for him. The only thing that stands in the way is common sense.

"Hotch?" She's drying her hands on a dish towel, looking at him with worried eyes.

He shakes his head. "I'm just going to check on the kids," he says, and all but flees to the toy room.

* * *

He winds up in a hotel bar in Oklahoma with Dave on the following Thursday, sipping Scotch and pretending that 'wait for the unsub's next move' is as palatable an option as they made it sound to the locals. Aaron doesn't particularly feel like talking, but he doesn't really want to be alone with his thoughts, either. The polished brass uprights and sheened hardwood counter are almost more familiar to him than the furniture in his apartment. Watching the other patrons, a blend of the mid-week business traveler and early weekend vacationer, as they watch the game overhead is a bit of mental balm, is as soothing in its own way as the surf coming in.

Ice clinks against Dave's glass when he sets it back down, not quite with a thunk but more decisively than the motion would normally call for. Aaron looks over to him, curious, and finds himself the one being watched.

"You've been quiet this week," Dave says mildly, but his eyebrows are determined to get his point across. "More so than usual. Anything you want to share with the class?"

"Are you saying I've been bad company?"

Dave snorts. "I'm saying I'm here if you need to work through something."

Aaron rolls the remaining Scotch around the bottom of his glass, and then nods at the bartender for another. It won't be enough to get him drunk, but he's pretty sure he needs to get as close to the line as possible if they're going to have this conversation. He waits through Dave's stare until the bartender sets the tumbler on its napkin and slides it over. Then he drains the last drops of his near-empty and turns to face Dave.

"It's coming up on a year and a half since Haley," he says, grateful that Dave allows him to keep that slight euphemism without comment. Aaron's fingers find the edges of the napkin under his glass irresistible, but he keeps his head up, his gaze strong. "Next month."

Dave nods. "And?"

Aaron shrugs and reaches for the new glass. "It hasn't been that long."

Dave sighs at that. He takes a drink of his own, then resettles himself in his chair so that he's sitting forward with his forearms resting on the bar. "I guess that depends on what you're measuring. I'm pretty sure you're going to miss her always, and no, a year and a half isn't that long when you're talking about that kind of heartache."

Aaron nods. Some days he thinks he can still smell her, that breezy scent of fabric softener, orange blossoms, and whatever it was that made her smell uniquely Haley. Other days...

"I wasn't with Emma very long at all, all things considered." Dave nudges his empty glass towards the bartender, signalling him with a slight lift of his head. "And even though it had been years since we'd been together when she died, I still felt like I lost something precious. Still do." He leans into Aaron's personal space a little. "But living my life doesn't take anything away from her."

"I shouldn't be--" _thinking these things,_ he wants to say, but that would inevitably lead to talking about JJ, and he isn't ready to go there. Not just yet. "It doesn't seem right."

"You know one of the most important rules I learned about doing this job?" Dave takes a long swallow of his Scotch, letting out a savoring sigh after he swallows. "You can't change the past. You can only try to make the future better."

Aaron nods. There are other thoughts, other words he could say, but instead he's drawn back into watching a pair of young men on the opposite side of the bar. They're both engrossed in the game, but one's drawn into himself, arms crossed defensively, while the other is sitting forward, eager anticipation on his face for whatever's happening. Aaron's vaguely aware of Dave finishing his drink and then slipping off with a murmured good night, but his mind is focused on telling stories to keep itself occupied. Wondering if those men have escaped tragedy in their lives, or if they hide old pain behind carefully constructed facades. Wondering what their futures hold.

It's late when he finally finishes his drink and heads up to his room, too late to call to check on Jack. Too late to call **anyone** with a small child.

And that's a damn good thing.

* * *

JJ is the one who makes the next call.

"It's Will's weekend." She sounds nervous as she explains, which only cranks up his nerves that much more. "I had plans with Emily, but then this thing with her mother came up, and you know how that goes."

"I do know the Ambassador," Aaron says dryly.

He barely makes out a snort on JJ's end. "Right. Anyway, the thing is, I don't really need to go out. But, God, I want to. I'm not sure I remember what there is to talk about besides cartoons and puppies anymore."

Aaron chuckles. "You always do fine with me."

"Exactly. That's why I was hoping you'd go with me."

"Me?"

"It's just that I don't feel like getting hit on." She laughs a little. "I know it's short notice, but my sitter did say she was available tomorrow night, if Jessica's busy."

Or if he can't make himself ask for one more favor, he thinks. He almost asks if she's sure. If she really wants to spend her precious free time with her stodgy former boss. "What time?" he asks instead, and they work out the details as smoothly as they coordinated information back when she was at the BAU. It's not until after he hangs up that he has to pace out his tension. He winds up in front of the closet, packed tightly with the suits he wears for work.

"It's not a date," he tells himself, but there's no reason he can't make sure the dark green button-down is clean.

They don't go to dinner, which would have been more couple-like than Aaron could have handled. After Jack is settled in at JJ's sitter's, they head to a bar the team has used as a midway meet-up on more than one occasion. It's comfortable for both of them, Saturday-night busy without being packed.

"I don't know why drinking a beer in a room full of strangers is so much better than doing it home alone," JJ says after she wipes her mouth dry of the first long swallow. "But it really, really is."

Aaron smiles. "It sounds like you've been going a little stir-crazy."

"A little." She shakes her head, rueful smile on her lips. "Don't get me wrong. I love being home with Henry. It's just now that Will's not around..."

"You only get to talk about cartoons and puppies?"

"And what he did in the potty today." JJ grins. "Okay, no, that's totally why drinking with strangers is so much better."

Aaron snorts. "You only say that because you don't have to use the men's restroom."

Her nose wrinkles adorably. "Thank God for big favors."

They laugh softly together, and then there is a lull. JJ is wearing her hair down tonight, and she tugs at a strand that's whisped around to her throat before she guides it back under the neat fall of the rest. Aaron looks down to his beer. He is so very out of practice with this. When they've gone out as a team, the others seem to bring the energy on their own, carrying him along in their wake. The times he's spent with Dave have always been quiet, both of them content with the spurts of animated conversation that break up their individual introspection.

"I'm sorry," JJ says, just when he's about to bring up the Johnson case. "I really thought I'd be less awkward than this. But I promised myself I wouldn't ask about work, and unless you want to hear about the organic laundry detergent I started using last week, I'm about out."

"Jessica takes care of most of the laundry, but if you've got some ideas for easy dinners, I'm all ears."

JJ shoots him a grateful smile, but there's sadness lurking around the edges, and those recipes don't start tumbling off her tongue. She takes another long drink of her beer.

"Haley always planned on going back to work after Jack started school," he offers gently.

JJ nods. "I will, I think. If anyone will hire me by then."

"I'm sure you'll be able to find something." He wants to say _I'll make sure of that,_ but there's no way he can guarantee something three years down the road. "Have you thought about doing some consulting? I know Andrea would be more than happy if you took some of the triage off of her hands."

"You think they'd actually pry the money out of the budget for that?" JJ shakes her head. "It's a nice thought, Aaron, but Strauss started turning cartwheels the second she figured out they could put a new agent in my position."

And a probationary agent equals a much lower pay grade than that of a SSA. He hates it, but JJ's right.

"Am I terrible?" JJ asks. She shifts sideways, propping her head on her hand so she's looking at him from an angle. "For not being happy with what I've got?"

"You could never be terrible." Aaron frowns at her, but JJ just rolls her eyes and gently kicks her foot against his ankle. "I'm serious!"

"Thank you. Really." She sighs. "You know, when we decided to do this, I was worried that I'd start to resent Will for going back to work. But that wasn't even it. It's that I want to do both, at the same time, and I can't without wearing myself down to nothing."

"I don't think there _is_ a right choice, ever." Jack seems to be coping well enough with him away as much as he is, but Aaron can't ever not question the decision he's made. "Not for people like us."

JJ straightens up. "Okay. Enough with the crappy-parenting talk. No more work talk, either."

Aaron raises an eyebrow. "So that leaves...?"

She shrugs. "You wanna play 'I never'?"

He laughs at that. "Probably not the best idea to get drunk off my ass if I'm driving."

"Drunk off your ass, huh?" She grins. "That sounds promising."

"I forget not to drink when other people do," he admits, but her eyes say she doesn't quite believe he's telling all of the truth. "How about we skip the drinking game, and you tell me what position you played."

"Ooh, position questions already." She winks at him. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"What makes you think I played?"

"It can't just be a lucky guess?"

"With anybody else, maybe." Aaron smiles. "But you proved your profiling skills to me a long time ago."

JJ shrugs. "You've said more than once you were bit of a nerd. But you're athletic, too. Soccer appeals to the smart kids."

"Sweeper," he says immediately. "But only until my junior year of high school. I was never serious about it."

"I bet you never let anything get by you, though."

"Never is a strong word." He salutes her with his almost empty glass. "And you?"

"Forward."

"Of course you were."

"Well, it had the best shot at getting me noticed." A touch of smugness crosses her lips. "It helped that I was good at it."

He shakes his head. "A position that requires dexterity, patience, and the drive to get the ball to the net? I can't imagine why you'd be good."

JJ blushes. "Okay, my turn. Is the White Album _really_ your favorite?"

"Yes." Aaron grins at her pout, then gathers up their empty glasses. "Another round?"

She narrows her eyes at him. "Okay, but when you come back, you're telling me what's hiding in your collection that you don't want anyone to know about."

"Deal," he says, because she'd probably come up with something far worse than Neil Diamond if he kept her guessing. He's pleased with himself as he makes his way to the bar, glad that after that initial stumble they've found their groove again.

The bartender fills the glasses to the very rim. Aaron keeps his gaze glued to his hands and the path he's navigating, and doesn't look up again until he's a few feet away from their table.

JJ smiles up at him. Beer sloshes over the back of his hand, but he doesn't really care, what with the revelation happening in his head. It's not that he's attracted to JJ. That one word is too small to describe what he's feeling right now. He avoids straining for another to take its place, but it doesn't matter. He can't deny to himself that he remembers this from endless play rehearsals and the pizza parties afterwards, that adrenaline rush of flirting that led to long nights on the phone and shorter, stolen hours in his dad's car.

"Here," JJ says, leaning forward with a napkin in hand. He sets the glasses down and takes the napkin, but his cuff is already wet. He unbuttons both and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows--just because he wants the dampness away from his skin, but he doesn't miss the way JJ's eyes drop to his forearms for just a moment.

She takes a long drink. Her face is flushed when she finally puts the glass down. "Okay. I'd say spill, but that just leads to bad puns."

Aaron laughs. "I think you should guess," he says, recklessly, giddily, and he doesn't regret the move at all when JJ sits back, bottom lip between her teeth and that brilliant gleam in her eyes.

* * *

She texts him at the office on Monday. _Thank you for Sat. Had great time being a grown-up._

_Glad to help,_ he sends back immediately, and then ponders half a dozen other messages before he adds, _Jack and Henry still on for this weekend?_

_On Henry's end, definitely,_ she sends back, because of course she knows it's too early for him to commit to being in town. Even if he wants to.

_Jack's crossing his fingers,_ might be a little too ridiculous, but it's worth it for the smiley face he gets in return.

"Someone's in a good mood today," Garcia says later, after handing over a stack of files bigger than the ones already on his desk. "Have a good weekend?"

"I did," he says. Garcia knows him well enough that she doesn't pry for more, but she winks at him before she leaves the room. He wonders if JJ said something to her, but there's no real reason she would have.

Later, after he spots Morgan watching him with a raised eyebrow, he realizes those looks might be because he's been whistling snatches of 'Sweet Caroline' the whole day.

* * *

Will answers the door.

Aaron's so surprised he doesn't say anything. Not until Will offers his hand with a congenial, "Hotch," and then turns a smile on Jack. Jack's a little hesitant; he knows Will, but it's been more than six months since he's last seen him. "Go on in, buddy. Henry's waiting for you in his room."

"Well, come on in," Will says, his gentle New Orleans drawl as friendly as ever. Aaron follows him back to the kitchen. There's no sign of JJ, but there's a six-pack carton of specialty beer on the counter, two of the bottles opened beside it. "JJ's on the phone. She should be out in a minute, though. Have a seat."

Aaron settles onto his usual stool. That's the only usual thing, though; besides Will's presence, there's no smell of cookies and the boys have gone upstairs to play. He considers going to look in on them, but he's pretty sure the urge has less to do with worry about what they could get into sight unseen and more with how uncomfortable he's feeling right now.

"So," he finally says. "How's it going with the job?"

"Great, man." Will snorts. "Not quite as _relaxed_ about some things as I'm used to, but they're good people. And it just feels right to be out there, doing what I can. You know what I'm talking about."

Aaron nods.

"Hey, you want a beer?" Will pushes the carton closer to him. "We're celebrating."

"Celebrating?" Aaron asks, ignoring the offer. "Celebrating what?"

Will grins, and Aaron's gut tries to make a break for the door without him. "I'm pretty sure JJ will kill me if I don't let her be the one to tell you."

Before Aaron can really process that, JJ walks into the kitchen. She's smiling, at both him and Will, and she heads straight for her beer first thing.

"Hey," Aaron says. His voice comes out strangled. "Will was telling me you have news."

She gets that pleased, school-girl look on her face, the one that comes with the slightest duck of her head. "You are apparently looking at the new auxiliary press liaison for the Metro police."

"I kind of pulled a few strings to get the news for her, unofficially," Will says. He tips his bottle at JJ. "Not that there was any question about her getting the job."

"Will," JJ says softly, like she does when she's embarrassed by something he's said.

"I'm going to have to agree with him," Aaron says. "They're lucky to have someone so qualified."

JJ shrugs. "I was actually kind of afraid that would get in the way. It's barely part-time, not much of a salary at all. But I've known Janie for years, and I guess she was happy enough to have the help that she convinced the department."

"That's fantastic." He's kind of surprised by how pleased he is for her, so much that there's a warm glow taking up all the space where he expected to feel disappointment that she's moved on. "When do you start?"

"I haven't even gotten the offer yet." She starts working her thumbnail under the label on the bottle. "But when I interviewed, it sounded like any time I'm ready."

"I'm going to go check on the youngsters," Will says. He brushes his fingers over JJ's shoulder as he steps around her, familiar and friendly. "They are way too quiet up there."

"Make sure they haven't tied up Bob or locked her in a closet or something," JJ calls to him. When she turns her head back, Aaron must be staring at her too intently, because her eyebrows go up. "What?"

He shakes his head. "Just, congratulations. I'm really happy for you."

"It's because of you, you know. You mentioned consulting the other night, and I woke up Sunday and thought 'why the hell not'." She takes a huge breath. "I'm actually terrified right now that they're going to change their minds before Monday, because it's pretty much perfect for me."

"They won't, not if they let Will know." He hesitates, because it's not really his business. But she's always said he can ask her anything, and it's something he needs to find out. "You two seem to be getting along well."

JJ snorts. "We always have, for the most part. It's just that I finally figured out that getting along with somebody isn't a good enough reason to spend your life with him."

"Not if it's not what you want," he says quietly, aware that Will isn't that far away.

"You know that Will isn't the reason I left the BAU, right?"

Aaron feels caught out. JJ smiles at him.

"You get this look on your face when I talk about it," she says. "Like I'm some poor housewife being kept locked up in the attic."

"I never meant to imply that." He shakes his head. "JJ, I know that you did what you thought was right for you. I don't think badly of you because of it. I couldn't."

JJ sighs. "Maybe I was a little bit worried, and not just because of your opinion. I did a lot of second-guessing myself, especially afterwards."

"It seems like you've made the right decision."

"Things are definitely looking up." Her smile is more open this time, bright with excitement, and he thinks maybe the news is settling in. "And thank you, by the way. For caring enough to worry about me."

"It might have been a little selfishly motivated," he says dryly. "I really didn't want you to leave the team."

"Because I'm the one who remembers to have the plane stocked with tea, right?" she teases.

Aaron laughs. "Well, Dave always keeps an eye on the Scotch, so that's already covered."

Heavy feet thud down the staircase behind them, and a few seconds later Will comes back into the kitchen. "They're watching Aladdin," he says. "Got caught up for a bit, myself. Can't ever get enough of Robin Williams."

"He's a genius," Aaron agrees.

"So no trouble, then?" JJ asks, always the one with her eye on the big picture and little details, both.

"They were fine." Will lays a hand on her shoulder. "I'm gonna take off. You sure you don't want to do dinner later?" The last is softer, obviously intended for JJ only.

She shakes her head. "I think the beer was already pushing my luck. Maybe some other time."

"All right." Will nods at Aaron. "Good to see you, Hotch."

"You, too," he murmurs in return. JJ walks Will to the door, and Aaron stands, stretching out some of the tension that he couldn't help holding onto in Will's presence. He still feels awkward, like he woke up and walked into the wrong day somehow, and his instinct right now is to say goodbye, as well. But they usually stay for at least an hour more than they've been here, and Jack will be upset if Aaron tries to make him leave in the middle of a movie.

"Wow. Sorry about that," JJ says as soon as she comes back. "I had no idea he was going to come over."

"It wasn't a problem," he says, and hopes he comes across more sincerely than apparently he has in the past.

"You have to admit it was awkward," she says, shuddering her shoulders a little. "It was for me, anyway. I mean, yeah, we get along, but I always feel so damn guilty whenever I'm around him now."

"I got the impression that he'd like to get back together with you."

JJ pulls out the barstool next to his and slouches onto it. "Of course you caught that."

"There's always the possibility that I was projecting." A second after he says it, he realizes that statement could be more revealing than he intended. "I remember what it was like with Haley, after all."

JJ sighs. "No, you're right on target, as usual. He even offered to do the stay-at-home-dad thing again. I hate--**hate**\--that I'm breaking his heart, but I know this is what's right for me."

"JJ," he says softly, but then he stops, uncertain how far he wants to go down this conversational road.

"Oh, man, look at the time." She hops off the stool, full of energy once again. "It is way too late for cookies today. Not if we want them to eat actual food." She pauses with her hand on top of the six-now-four-pack. "You wouldn't be interested in staying for pizza, would you? I can pretend it's not a celebration if it's about me being too lazy to cook."

"Jack loves pizza," he says. "I'm sure he'd love to stay."

"Great," she says, and pulls a take-out menu off of the refrigerator door.

* * *

He gets the text at 4:18 Monday. _I start Wednesday,_ it says. _Guess I can go wild now, huh?_

_Go all out,_ he sends back. _Get the Hawaiian this time._

_Hell with that. I'm getting the Meat Lover's._

Aaron snorts, then settles his phone back onto his belt. They'd dithered for fifteen minutes over what to get on Saturday before concluding that the boys together wouldn't even make a dent in a small cheese, and that both he and JJ were fine with something simple. Simple ruled the whole evening, with another Disney movie on the TV and the boys falling asleep between them on the couch. It had been hard to find the energy to leave.

He picks up his pen to go back to the report he was reviewing, but he's struck by inspiration. Google coughs up the phone number he needs without much effort on his part at all.

"Hi, yes," he says when the salesman answers. "I saw an arrangement in your window a few months ago, and I was wondering if you could do something like that for me."

* * *

Aaron considers several different options after JJ calls him with a warm thank you for the flowers. Jason had given Reid Redskins tickets with the idea that a game was something he and JJ could enjoy as friends, or more, with no pressure; it wouldn't be completely out of bounds to repeat the gesture once the pre-season starts. Going to a United match might be more meaningful, but it'd be more obvious, too. If he's going to go for broke, he might as well just ask her out to a nice dinner.

In the end, he decides that it's not fair to JJ to pretend that he's not trying to court her. He feels like he's shaking before he even makes the call, but when he looks down at his hand as he dials, it's as steady as ever. His voice, too, when he issues the invitation.

After she accepts, after he returns his phone to his belt and takes a few deep breaths, he has a heart-speeding moment when he realizes the hard part is still to come.

* * *

"Hey," JJ says as she breezes past the counter over to the small, rickety table he's staked out by a squat bookcase. "Sorry I'm late. Janie decided at the last minute that she wanted to go over the press release I was working on."

"I haven't been here long." The Virginia gentleman in him has him standing before he thinks about it. He doesn't reach for her hand, though. "Decaf skim latte, right?"

"Yeah. A medium, please." She shoots him a smile as she settles her briefcase between her chair and the wall. "Thanks."

He only looks over at her a couple times as he waits for their drinks, but she's smiling back at him each time, though it gets smaller as he returns to the table. He hands her the latte without saying anything, and then takes his seat.

His mouth doesn't seem to want to work.

"Whatever it is, Hotch, just say it." Her smile is completely gone now, the small muscles at the corners of her eyes drawn tight.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you worry." He takes a deep breath and finds his balls. "I just think it's best if I get everything out in the open. I'm kind of falling for you, JJ."

"Wow." A blush rises on her cheeks.

"I don't want this to hurt our friendship," Aaron adds quickly. "I won't--"

"No!" She laughs, then shakes her head. "Don't go all noble on me. That wasn't a bad 'wow' at all."

"It wasn't?" He feels kind of stupid, but he knows from experience that's what happens when you get knocked sideways hard enough.

She shakes her head. "I didn't think you'd ever say it. I was just _really_ hoping you'd give in one of those Saturdays and kiss me."

"Oh." He holds her gaze until the smile spreads from her face to his, and then he drops his head with a laugh. "I haven't actually had a lot of practice at this."

"I know," she says quietly, with enough layers of understanding in her voice that he has to swallow down the past. She reaches for his hand across the table top, and they lace the tips of their fingers together. That small touch is enough to make heat rise up his forearms and spread through his chest. "You've been doing pretty good, though. Except for the not kissing me part."

"I could fix that, later."

Her fingers tighten on his. "I'd like that. A lot."

So would he. And a lot more, but there's more than one reason he's taken his time to make a move. "I don't know what you're looking for, JJ. I don't want to push you into something you're not ready for." He pulls his hand away from hers, though he leaves it on the table. "And to be honest, I'm not really sure what I'm ready for."

"I get that." She fidgets with the heat cuff on her cup, but she doesn't take a drink. "I guess I just need to tell you what's going on with me, huh? Like you said, get it all out there."

"It would definitely help." He smiles wryly. "My profiling skills pretty much go out the window when I'm this close to the situation."

"I'll remember that." She takes a deep breath, holding it for several seconds before she lets it out again. "So, remember that really bad fight I had with Will? He brought up having another baby because he could see how much fun Henry was having with Jack, but he was jealous of how much time I was spending with you."

"JJ--"

She shakes her head. "He wasn't wrong. I-- I tried to tell myself it was an infatuation, that I'd get over it, but I've kind of been in love with you forever, it feels like." Her cheeks are blazing now, and she's avoiding even looking in his direction. "You aren't the reason Will and I broke up, so don't do the guilt thing, but..."

She looks up at last. "You definitely wouldn't be a rebound, if you're worried about that. Anything more, I say we just see how it goes."

His heart feels like it's going to pound out of his chest. There's only one thing he can think to say. "It's later."

"What?" she asks, but he's already pulling her chair towards his, ignoring the loud squeal as the feet scrape against the floor. He cups his hand under the back of her skull, right below where her ponytail would ride if she was wearing one.

She's smiling when he kisses her.

* * *

_Three months later._

JJ stops in front of Emily's door, making no move to reach for the knocker. Aaron rests his hands on her shoulders. "Having second thoughts?"

"Thirds, actually." She smiles over her shoulder at him. "It's not like they haven't guessed already, I'm sure. It's just..."

"A big step?" He brushes his nose against the softness of her hair. "We can turn around right now if you want."

"Are you kidding? I already paid the sitter."

It's a moot question a moment later, when the door opens under JJ's raised hand. Reid blinks at them from the other side.

"JJ?"

"Hi," she says, opening her fist into a wave.

"I didn't know you were coming," he says, but then he reaches out to give her a hug. "Hey, Hotch," he says as he pulls back. "Everybody's inside. I was just going to get something out of my car."

They wait at the threshold for a moment, watching until he's out of sight. "Okay, so maybe not everyone's figured it out," JJ says.

"I'm more surprised that he drove," Aaron says. JJ snorts in acknowledgment, then finally pushes Emily's door open the rest of the way and steps inside. They're past the kitchen before anybody looks up--and then the whole room sort of goes still.

Derek's the first one to say anything. "Well, look who turned up." He pushes off the arm of the puffy armchair Garcia's sitting in, crossing the room with his arms open. "It's good to see you, girly-girl."

Garcia and Emily crowd around her for more hugs, and Dave busses her on both cheeks. She's drawn deeper into the room, away from Aaron's side, and it's a struggle not to make a place for himself beside her on the couch. They lock eyes over Emily's shoulder, and she smiles at him, ever so slightly. It's enough to remind him that this is what they're here for, really. Being with their friends and enjoying time together, rather than just waltzing in to make an announcement.

"Okay, okay, okay," Garcia says. "Back to the game?"

"What are we playing?" JJ asks.

"Truth or dare," she says, and Aaron chuckles softly. It seems that kid games never go out of style. "BAU rules, though. Only fun stuff allowed."

"Like this," Derek says. "Babygirl, truth or dare."

"Oh, you make it so hard to choose, sugar. But for demonstration purposes only, I'm going to go with truth."

"You are breaking my heart." He winks at her. "All right, then. How many of those graphic novels do you have in that apartment of yours, and does the fire marshal know?"

"Okay, first, that is totally two questions, not one, and second, higher than you can count."

They all laugh as Derek grabs at his heart. Garcia pats him on the knee, then turns so she's looking directly at Emily. It looks like she's about to laugh, but then she sucks her cheeks in and puts on a very serious expression. "So, my turn. Oh, dearest strange one, truth or dare?"

Emily raises her wine glass. "I think I've had enough of this to go with truth this time."

"Okay. Tell me the truth: did you invite JJ to this party?"

Aaron feels a strange detachment hit him, like he's hovering above the room so he can see everybody's face all at once. JJ is trying hard not to look at him; Emily's tight cheeks match Garcia's barely-restrained mirth.

"I was going to," Emily says. "But then I figured, hey, might as well make somebody use his plus one."

"Oh, man. You guys are terrible," JJ says, leaning into Emily's side. "You're really loving this, aren't you?"

They all laugh. Dave meets Aaron's eyes and raises his glass of wine in a salute.

"Maybe one of these day's you'll learn to stop trying to hide things from us," Emily says.

"We weren't hiding," JJ protests. "We just weren't...showing off."

"Uh-huh," Garcia says, but by then Aaron has had enough. He stands up and circles around the coffee table until he's right in front of Dave.

"Excuse me," he says, and it's a bit hard to hold onto his own straight face. "You're in my spot."

Dave doesn't give up the game easy. "Oh yeah? What makes you say that?"

Aaron looks at JJ. She's smiling up at him, not embarrassed at all anymore. "Because you're sitting beside my girlfriend."

Dave chuckles and stands up without another word. Aaron squeezes in beside JJ and puts his arm on the back of the couch. She snuggles into his side. He pulls her in close to his chest, and it's pretty much perfect.

The front door opens and closes, and then Reid's bustling into the room. "I don't have my complete kit with me, but I'm pretty sure I can make it work with what I have if you've got some sparkling water I can use." He blinks at Aaron and JJ, then scans the rest of them. "Did I miss something?"

END


End file.
